[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H4236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE NEED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

  (Ms. ESTY of Connecticut asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. ESTY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize National 
Infrastructure Week and to urge my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to work together and pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill.
  The fact is, Mr. Speaker, we cannot run a 21st century economy on a 
mid-20th century infrastructure.
  Our roads are filled with potholes, costing commuters, on average, 
$520 a year in repairs. Traffic congestion adds another $960 per year 
in fuel and lost productivity.
  Too many of our bridges are structurally deficient and past their 50-
year lifespan. As the Flint lead crisis painfully demonstrated, our 
water infrastructure is failing to provide too many Americans with 
water that is safe to drink.
  It is time to stop talking about infrastructure. It is time for 
Congress to act. The systems that allow us to travel from place to 
place, provide us with clean drinking water, and dispose of waste are 
not luxuries; they are essentials.
  Mr. Speaker, let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan. Let's 
invest in safety, jobs, and the competitiveness of American businesses.

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